


Synthesis

by Hours_Gone_By



Series: AU Yeah AUgust 2019 [10]
Category: Transformers Generation One, Transformers – All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe – Bookstore, Dinner, Kissing, M/M, Massage, Meet-Cute, Overloads (Transformers), Trains, Transformers Plug 'n Play Sexual Interfacing, au yeah august, bookstore, flirtation, one-night stand, student!Prowl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-22 05:44:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20869148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hours_Gone_By/pseuds/Hours_Gone_By
Summary: While en route to college, Prowl's train breaks down, stranding him overnight in a small town. Prowl wanders into the local bookstore and finds much more than literary distraction.





	Synthesis

**Author's Note:**

> Day 15 - Bookstore

Prowl hadn't planned to go shopping that day but, with his train broken down and not enough shanix for fuel to get himself to college, he didn't have any choice but to wait. The village he was waiting in was small with most of its commerce clearly directed towards tourism. Prowl didn't need knickknacks, even if he could have afforded them, but he did need textbooks, so he gravitated toward the little local bookstore. The textbooks he needed weren't the kind one usually found in a regular bookstore, but this one advertised a used section, and maybe he'd have some luck. At the very least, it couldn't hurt.

The bookstore was on the small side, and Prowl had to perform a minor transformation to tuck his doors behind his back so he wouldn't risk knocking anything over. Once that was done, he had enough space to browse the aisles. He'd been looking for a klik when someone approached him.

"Hey there," the mech, whose ID broadcast gave his designation as Jazz and his position as the store's owner, greeted him. "Can I help you find anything?"

"I was hoping for textbooks?" Prowl offered. "Mechaforensics, physics, biology…?"

Jazz frowned. "No mechaforensics, sorry, but we've got some physics and bio texts. Pretty small selection, though. Don't know if they're what you're looking for but follow me and I'll show you where they are."

"Thank you."

Prowl followed Jazz through the aisles to a section in the back of the store that was, as Jazz had said, small. It only took a quick look to see that nothing there was anything he required for his classes, but there was a copy of Axioma's _Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis_, a semi-rare book which Prowl had always wanted to read. A quick look at the price told him it was out of his range, though, so he had to put it back.

To his surprise, Jazz picked it up and made to hand it back to him.

"Oh, but I – "

"That book's been sitting there for a deci-vorn," Jazz said. "pretty sure you're the first mech to show some interest in it in all that time. It's dead inventory, mech. Just tell me what you think it's worth, and it's yours."

"A fair price for this would still be out of my budget," Prowl protested. "It's valuable. You could sell it on the DataNet for what it's worth, I'm sure."

"Yeah, and it might go to someone who wants to read it, like you, but it might go to some mech who's gonna keep it on a shelf and ignore it." Jazz pressed the book into Prowl's hand. "You want it, you want to read it, and you're here now. So what're you willing to put down for it?"

"…fifteen shanix?" Prowl suggested. It was still steep, but it was a third of what this edition of the book would typically cost second-hand.

"Ten," Jazz said immediately. "Mech, you're a student. That five shanix is a meal for you."

"Ten," Prowl echoed. "You're sure?"

Jazz chuckled. "You're not supposed to bargain _up_, y'know. Not from your side of the table, anyway. But yeah, ten."

"Very well, then," Prowl agreed. "Ten."

"Alright. Come to the front when you're ready, and I'll ring you up."

Prowl saw little point in not making his purchase immediately, since this was all his spare cash right now, and so followed Jazz to the counter.

"So what brings you into town?" Jazz asked once Prowl had paid and subspaced the book. "We're not exactly a tourist hotspot this time of year – and you don't look like the usual kind of tourist."

"My train broke down," Prowl said. "I'm waiting for it to be repaired, but it's expected to take several cycles. I've been told to expect to be here at least overnight."

"Are they at least fuelling you and putting you up for the night?"

"I brought my own fuel," Prowl told him, "but I expect I'll have to sleep in my seat or share a hotel room with another passenger."

Jazz made a face. "Neither of those sounds great, but I suppose it could be worse. Well, I'd point you to some sites of interest, but we're out of season, and they're all closed."

"At least I have something to read. Is there a café or library somewhere…?" Prowl had pretty much spent his spare shanix, at least until his student allotment came in, but he could afford some fuel to nurse at a café.

"We're the closest thing to a library," Jazz said. "There're chairs in the back if you wanna use those. There's a decent little park with some benches down the street as well if you'd rather read in the sunshine, and a café across from that."

Prowl didn't want to impose any further. "The park sounds good," he said. "Thank you – and, thank you for the book."

Jazz smiled at him. "No problem."

The park proved to be a popular location for his fellow stranded passengers, including several couples with juveniles that were going through some sort of 'yell and shriek constantly' phase. Prowl gave up and tried the café, only to find it full without even the option to share a table.

"Bit crowded, huh?" Jazz said when Prowl walked back into the bookstore, transforming his doors back down. "Chairs are in the back left, and so far they're all yours."

Prowl thanked him and went to, hopefully finally, read in peace. He also set an internal alarm to remind him of the store's closing time, not wanting to put Jazz in the position of having to ask him to leave. The chairs were old and patched, but clean and comfortable, and Prowl was soon lost in his book.

_Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis_ was a long book that would take even Prowl some time to get through. Prowl reluctantly tore himself away when his alarm pulsed on his HUD and stood up, subspacing his book. Jazz was at the counter, also reading, and looked up when he approached.

"Leaving already? I wasn't gonna kick you out."

"It's your closing time, I didn't want to impose. You've already been very kind."

"I like to help people out," Jazz said. "You're welcome to stay if you want, and you wouldn't be imposing."

It was tempting, but still. "I'm sure you want to get your dinner."

Jazz flashed him a grin. "You asking me out?"

"I – oh." Flustered, Prowl fell silent, aware his optics were shading with embarrassment.

Jazz laughed, not unkindly. "C'mon. There's a place locals go, out on the street behind the shop. I'll introduce you to one of my faves, my treat. You could use a break."

That was how Prowl found himself sitting at a table in a quaint restaurant, the décor and fittings severely out of date but clean and well-kept. Prowl did look over the menu but ended up going with Jazz's recommendation, which he was relieved to see was reasonably priced. It was good, far, far superior to the plain fuel Prowl had packed for his journey. Jazz's company was enjoyable as well, and he told Prowl stories about his bookstore – and his travels across Cybertron. It turned out that Jazz co-owned the store with his sibling and they took turns managing it and working as touring musicians. This vorn it was Jazz's turn.

"It sounds fascinating," Prowl said over dessert. He'd let Jazz talk him into trying this as well, and it was just as good as the entrée. "This is really my first trip anywhere."

"And your train breaks down and strands you." Jazz shook his head a little. "But hey, if you hadn't, you wouldn't have found your book."

"Or met you."

Jazz flashed him another grin. "Well, I wasn't gonna be so bold as to list _myself _as a positive, but…And I am glad you came in. I was wondering if you would."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Saw you outside before you came in the shop," Jazz said. "Your doors were up and out. I liked them that way."

Prowl glanced around to make sure he had clearance and transformed his doors back to their usual position. Jazz seemed to track the movement as they rose, looking appreciative. Prowl straightened his shoulders, shyly preening.

"Yeah, like that." Jazz leaned his elbow on the table and propped his chin on his hand. "It's a good look for you. Gives you presence."

"You're flirting with me," Prowl said unnecessarily.

"Yup!" Jazz said cheerily, then sobered slightly. "Is that okay? I'll stop if you don't like it – and it doesn't have to go anywhere. I like to flirt, doesn't mean I expect anything out of it. Out of any of this. I just really thought you could use some breaks, is all."

"It's not that I mind, it's just unexpected," Prowl admitted. "I don't get flirted with very often."

"Handsome mech like you? I'm surprised."

Prowl's fingers flexed on the tabletop. "Maybe you could – help me learn to respond to it?" he offered.

Jazz smiled, slow and sexy. The tiniest current of charge skittered through Prowl's lines.

"Maybe I could."

Four cycles of progressively more intense flirting later, Prowl found himself pressed up against the bookstore's exterior back wall, being enthusiastically kissed by Jazz.

"Oh, Primus," Prowl groaned, tipping his head back.

"Yeah," Jazz said, nosing in under Prowl's jaw so he could kiss there too. "Yeah. You want to – I live just upstairs – you want to come in?"

"This isn't," Prowl kissed Jazz again. "That isn't…something I do. Did."

"Which one?" Jazz asked, stopping so he could look at Prowl. "'Face? Or one-night stands?"

"One-night stands. I've interfaced before. And," Prowl felt a flutter of nervousness, but he _did_ want Jazz, and so he pushed on, "I used the past tense."

"Yeah, you did." Jazz reached past him to palm the door open. "C'mon in. Follow me, and mind the stairwell, it's kinda narrow."

It was: Prowl had to sweep his doors back behind himself to avoid scraping the walls. But they emerged into a spacious enough apartment that he could return them to their default position. Jazz spun around to watch him do so.

"Primus, those are fine," Jazz said admiringly. "Wanna run my hands over them."

"There is truth to what they say about the hinges and articulations of Praxian doors," Prowl offered, letting Jazz lead him to, presumably, a bedroom. "They don't give a near-instant climax, but having them touched the right way can be arousing."

"I'm gonna have to learn that right way." Jazz backed through a door and Prowl saw his guess about their destination had been correct. "Sorry, a little bit of a mess, wasn't expecting a handsome stranger to drop into my lap."

Prowl didn't see anything to object to. There were sheets of writing foil scattered over a desk and a few stacks of books, but it was hardly dirty. Perhaps a little cluttered 'round the edges.

"It's fine," he assured Jazz.

"Good. Not planning to focus on the room, anyway." Jazz put light hands on Prowl's waist and guided him over to the bed, walking backward. "Got anything you want me to know about before we get started?"

Prowl had been telling the truth when he said he'd interfaced before. He just hadn't done it much.

"I don't know. I'll tell you if you do something I don't like."

"Fair enough." Jazz dropped down onto the mattress and Prowl sat next to him. Jazz raised a hand and ran a finger across Prowl's lower lip. "You sure you're cool with this?"

"I am," Prowl assured him. "I'm just a little nervous."

"Yeah? Think a little hinge-rub might help with that?"

"It-it might."

"Mmm, let's find out." Jazz kissed him quickly. "Turn around? Can sit up or lie down, whichever you want."

Prowl chose to lie down. He was going to wind up there eventually anyway, wasn't he? He'd half expected Jazz to straddle him, but no, the other mech wasn't so bold. Jazz knelt next to him and started out gently, not touching the hinges directly at first but slowly working around them. Prowl relaxed into the touches and the more relaxed he got, the closer to his door articulations Jazz got.

"Yeah, that's good," Jazz murmured when he finally caressed them, and Prowl sighed in pleasure. "Let me hear you, hot stuff. Any sweet spots I should know about?"

Prowl groaned a little as the pressure increased to just the perfect amount. "Near the support struts, just…almost. Up a little? Ah! _There_!"

"That's good?" Jazz chuckled softly when Prowl groaned affirmation. "Yeah, bet that's hard to reach, huh?"

"Mmm. Mm-hm."

Prowl stretched, arching his back to push up into Jazz's hands. It did feel good, and besides that, charge was starting to tingle through his systems. Jazz might not be familiar with Prowl's superstructure-type, but he had rather talented hands. Prowl let Jazz work his back and hinges and articulations until there was absolutely no trace of tension anywhere in his body. Then, wanting more and wanting to give back to his lover, he pushed himself into a kneeling position and twisted to pull Jazz into a lazy kiss.

"What do you like?" Prowl wanted to know, cupping Jazz's side in one hand and stroking over the data port cover there.

"Right here." Jazz put Prowl's other hand on his hip, guiding his fingertips to some sort of closure. "Throat's good, and headlights, under the bumper."

"Mine too."

"Mmm, yeah," Jazz sighed as Prowl traced the closure where it ran around a boxy projection on Jazz's hips. "Little oral action on my ports, jacks, that'd be awesome."

"Yes?" Prowl kissed Jazz's shoulder, brushed his lips down to the panel concealing one of Jazz's chest ports. He kept teasing the closures and used his other hand to tease the underside of Jazz's bumper.

"Yeah…oh, yeah." Jazz stroked Prowl's sides, down to his thighs, teased the line where pelvic armour met protoform and made him shiver. "You got a sweet mouth on you, I bet you're great at that. Want me to open, and you can show me?"

Jazz was bold, more so than some of Prowl's previous lovers, and Prowl thought he liked that. He traced the port cover with the tip of his tongue.

"Yes."

"Oh yeah." The cover spiralled open, revealing a column of three ports and the corresponding jacks, still reeled in. "Show me, lover."

Prowl obeyed, kissing each port gently in turn then using his tongue to trace the rims, dip inside. He listened carefully to Jazz's gasps and sighs of pleasure to know what to do again, learn what his lover wanted. He went slowly, still caressing Jazz with careful hands and moaning softly when Jazz's fingers found his hinges again. When Prowl ran his tongue over the jacks of the still-spooled cables Jazz groaned and clutched him close.

"Prowl, yeah…oh…!" Jazz's fingers fluttered on one of his hinges, on one of the access panels in his chest. "Draw 'em out, go on, link up with me whenever you're ready."

Prowl opened one of his own chest ports and drew out Jazz's jacks, running the cables between his fingers.

"Smooth," Prowl murmured.

Prowl stroked his fingers the length of a cable, rolled the jack between his fingers and making Jazz hiss in pleasure. Prowl loved the feeling of smooth metal between his fingers, the notch of the parallel grooves running around the circumference near the tip that would lock them in place inside him.

"Primus," Jazz breathed, running his hands over Prowl's doors, finding the sensitive spots where they'd lock into his superstructure in alt mode. "Looks as good as it feels."

Prowl pushed the first jack home. "It does?"

"Oh yeah. _Oh_, yeah!" Jazz swept his hands back to Prowl's torso, ran them up to his chest. "My turn?" he asked once Prowl's ports were filled.

Prowl leaned in and kissed him. "Yes."

Jazz kissed him back, deep and thorough, while he freed Prowl's cables and played gently with them in turn before pushing them into his ports. Prowl's network protocols were already up and running, and they immediately pinged Jazz's for access, which was granted.

They didn't drop all their firewalls. That was too intimate, too risky, with someone you'd just met. But what they did yield was enough, more than enough.

"Oh, oh yeah," Jazz whispered through kisses, framing Prowl's face in his hands. "Show me, c'mon, send it over…oh yeah!"

Prowl had pulsed the feeling of having his hinges caressed, of Jazz's mouth hot and eager on his. Jazz was more than happy to respond, to send a packet of intense sensory data back. Prowl moaned into the kiss and sent more back, faster, and his lover responded in kind, back and forth again and again and again.

Prowl cried out against Jazz's mouth as the overload took him and Jazz was only nano-kliks behind.

"Wow," Jazz said breathlessly, sprawled half across Prowl afterwards as they lay on his bed where they'd effectively collapsed. "That was good. Hey. Sorry if this makes me a glitch but – I'm glad your train broke down today."

Prowl smiled and kissed a sensor horn as Jazz cuddled closer, in to lay his head on Prowl's shoulder. "So am I."

"Stay the night?" Jazz mumbled, words half-muffled by Prowl's armour. "Really like it if you did."

"Yes," Prowl said softly. "I'll stay."

* * *

The next morning was clear and brought with it a notification on Prowl's HUD that the train had been repaired and would be departing in a cycle.

"Time for breakfast and a shower each but no time for a quickie," Jazz said, resigned, when Prowl told him. "Unless it was _really_ quick."

Prowl would have liked it, but – "Boarding will be crowded. I'd prefer to be there early to avoid it if I can."

"Yeah, I get it."

Jazz's shower was just big enough for Prowl, there definitely would not have been the space to enjoy themselves together, even if there had been the time. Prowl would not let Jazz spend any more on him, and so they breakfasted in Jazz's kitchen instead of going out again. He did let Jazz walk him to the train though.

"Take this for the road," Jazz said as they stood on the platform. He handed Prowl a bag that had at least two cubes in it. "And look me up if you're ever back in town."

"I will," Prowl promised, accepting the bag. "Thank you for everything."

They kissed good-bye and Prowl boarded his train. Jazz waved to him as the train went by the platform and then he was gone. Prowl looked inside the bag. It held cubes, some rust sticks, and a folded piece of writing foil that felt too heavy to just be a note. When Prowl unfolded it, a ten-shanix piece fell into his hand.

_For the book. Call it a retroactive gift_, the note read. It also listed a comm code. _Call me and tell me what you thought of it sometime._

Prowl folded the note back up and subspaced it and the shanix. Then, he activated the book again and began to read. After all, the sooner he was finished, the sooner he had a reason to call Jazz.


End file.
